New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘Tamar Dark Salmon’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea  Impatiens  plant named ‘Tamar Dark Salmon’, characterized by its upright, outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded plant growth habit; freely branching and freely flowering habit; dark green-colored foliage; and large rounded salmon orange-colored flowers.

Botanical designation: Impatiens hawkeri.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Tamar Dark Salmon’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens plant, botanically known as Impatiens hawkeri, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Tamar Dark Salmon’.

The new Impatiens is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in De Lier, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to develop new Impatiens cultivar with large rounded flowers and attractive foliage and flower coloration.

The new Impatiens originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in 2002 with two unnamed proprietary seedling selections of Impatiens hawkeri, not patented. The cultivar Tamar Dark Salmon was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in De Lier, The Netherlands.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings in De Lier, The Netherlands since 2002, has shown that the unique features of this new Impatiens are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Tamar Dark Salmon’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Tamar Dark Salmon’ as a new and distinct Impatiens cultivar:

-   -   1. Upright, outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded plant         growth habit.     -   2. Freely branching and freely flowering habit.     -   3. Dark green-colored foliage.     -   4. Large rounded salmon orange-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Impatiens can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in De Lier, The Netherlands, plants of the new Impatiens differed from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Impatiens flowered earlier than plants of         the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Impatiens had larger flowers than plants of         the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Impatiens can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in De Lier, The Netherlands, plants of the new Impatiens differed from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Impatiens had a more uniform plant habit         than plants of the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Impatiens had larger flowers than plants of         the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Impatiens can also be compared to plants of the cultivar Tamar Salmon, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in De Lier, The Netherlands, plants of the new Impatiens differed from plants of the cultivar Tamar Salmon in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Impatiens were more upright than plants of         the cultivar Tamar Salmon.     -   2. Plants of the new Impatiens and the cultivar Tamar Salmon         differed in flower coloration as plants of the cultivar Tamar         Salmon had lighter salmon orange-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Impatiens.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Tamar Dark Salmon’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of typical flowers of ‘Tamar Dark Salmon’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants of the cultivar Tamar Dark Salmon have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photographs, following observations and measurements describe plants grown in De Lier, The Netherlands, under commercial production practice in a glass-covered greenhouse during the summer. Rooted young plants were planted in 12-cm containers and the aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements were taken about ten weeks later. During the production of the plants, day and night temperatures averaged 20° C. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Tamar Dark     Salmon. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Unnamed proprietary seedling selection of             Impatiens hawkeri, not patented.         -   Male parent.—Unnamed proprietary seedling selection of             Impatiens hawkeri, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal tip cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 5 to 7 days at 19 to             20° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 6 to 8 days at 19 to             20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 14 to 19             days at 19 to 20° C.         -   time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 14 to 21             days at 19 to 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine; white to brown in color. -   Plant description:     -   -   General appearance.—Upright, outwardly spreading and             uniformly mounded plant growth habit; freely branching             habit; bushy appearance; freely flowering. Moderately             vigorous.         -   Crop time.—From a rooted cutting, about nine weeks are             required to produce finished flowering plants in 12-cm             containers.         -   Plant height.—About 23 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 39 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Quantity per plant: About seven. Length:             About 15 cm. Diameter: About 7 mm. Internode length: About             4 cm. Strength: Moderate. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Luster:             Slightly glossy. Color: 146C tinted with 178A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Primarily in whorls with             about five leaves per whorl; simple. Length: About 9.6 cm.             Width: About 3.5 cm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Acute. Base:             Attenuate. Margin: Serrulate with ciliation. Texture, upper             and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Luster, upper and             lower surfaces: Moderately glossy. Venation pattern:             Pinnate. Color: Developing foliage, upper surface: 146A to             146B. Developing foliage, lower surface: 139C. Fully             expanded foliage, upper surface: Between 139A and 131A;             venation, 194B. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 138B;             towards the base, 194B; venation, similar to lamina.             Petiole: Length: About 3.5 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surface: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: 195B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and flowering habit.—Single, rounded, salmon             orange-colored flowers. Freely and continuously flowering;             usually about 20 flowers per lateral branch. Flowers             positioned just above the foliage; flowers typically face             upright to outward, typically parallel to the leaf canopy.             Petals not persistent; gynoecium persistent. Flowers not             fragrant.         -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about ten days at the plant.         -   Flowering season.—Year-round under greenhouse conditions. In             the garden, plants flower from the spring throughout the             summer.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.4 cm. Diameter: about 6 mm.             Shape: Ovoid. Color: Between 41D and 40D.         -   Flower diameter.—About 4.6 cm.         -   Flower depth (excluding spur).—About 1.5 cm.         -   Petals.—Quantity: Five per flower, imbricate. Length: Banner             petals: About 2 cm. Lateral and base petals: About 2.4 cm.             Width: Banner petal: About 3 cm. Lateral and base petals:             About 2.2 cm. Shape: Banner petal: Reniform. Lateral and             base petals: Broadly obcordate. Apex: Banner petal: Retuse.             Lateral and base petals: Emarginate. Base, all petals:             Attenuate. Margin, all petals: Entire. Texture, all petals,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; satiny. Color:             When opening, banner petal, upper surface: 41C. When             opening, lateral and base petals, upper surface: Mixture of             40C and 41C. When opening, banner petal, lower surface: 43D;             towards the base, 52B. When opening, lateral and base             petals, lower surface: 43D. Fully opened, banner petal,             upper surface; Mixture of 43C and 43D; towards the margins,             41C. Fully opened, lateral and base petals, upper surface:             Mixture of 43C to 43D and 41C; central stripe, 41B. Fully             opened, banner petal, lower surface: 43D; towards the base,             52B. Fully opened, lateral and base petals, lower surface:             43D.         -   Spur.—Length: About 4.5 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 cm. Aspect:             Curved. Color, immature and mature: Towards the flower,             185A; towards the apex, 155C.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 5.5 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Strength: Moderately strong,             flexible. Angle: About 45° from vertical. Color: 145B to             145C.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen number: Five fused             at anthers, hooded; filaments free. Anther length: About             2 mm. Anther shape: Obovate. Anther color: 182D. Pollen             amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 158D. Gynoecium: Pistil             quantity: One per flower. Pistil length: About 1 mm. Stigma             color: 158D. Style: Not visible. Ovary: Five-celled. Ovary             color: 146A.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit development has not been             observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Impatiens have not been     observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Impatiens. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Impatiens have been     observed to tolerate temperatures of about 10° C. to about 35° C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘Tamar Dark Salmon’, as illustrated and described. 